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Open Forum (2/15– )

Ask Hosni Mubarak whether it was some kid Google exec, or Facebook, or Twitter that helped bring him down, and here's the answer you'll get (roughly translated from the Masri): "Huh?!?"

Sometimes, a regime, or a brand, just dies. Ask AOL. (HuffPo, be warned!)

No doubt, we live in interesting times.

In terms of real estate, we live in a time when the recent nationwide RE recovery stoked by cash giveaways and unspeakably cheap money seems now to have stalled out. But that's nationwide. (According to Case-Shiller, no bulls they.)

Hyperlocally, 2010 was a recovery year and, moreover, the respected Dataquick team says "luxury" real estate across California (prices $1m+) saw a 21% increase in sales volume last year. (See this LA Times story.)

The situation with $1m+ sales prompted some remarkable comments from Christopher Thornberg, largely viewed as a bear in the bubble years and post-bubble aftermath, who said last week: "Certainly, we're pretty sure we're at the bottom" for home prices, and "if you are borrowing, buying today makes a lot of sense because interest rates are just incredibly low."

When the bears turn bullish, what's to do next?

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Please use this "Open Forum" post to discuss whatever's on your mind – the Arcade Fire, new planets outside our solar system, the death (?!?) of Fannie and/or Freddie, etc. As always – and you've been so good recently – keep it civil and we'll all have a better time.